Dark Forest
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A mission gone wrong finds Weiss and Blake separated from their team, badly wounded as night is upon them. The morning seems unattainable, and escape impossible. [Thank you, Wern212!]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This started out as a roleplay between myself (Weiss) and one of my partners (Blake). We got a dozen or so replies into it, and then she suddenly disappeared, deleted all of her blogs, and I never heard from her again. Since then, it's been almost a year, and I presume she's not coming back.**

**So since 80% of this story is technically mine, rather than let it die off somewhere no one will see it, I decided to put it up as a fanfiction for all to see. I wrote a great deal of the middle and all of the ending myself to finish it off, as well as all of Weiss' parts in the beginning.**

**Therefore, this might read a bit awkwardly since it was originally a roleplay between 2 people and it switches back and forth from both girls' perspectives in the first chapter. But I've done my best to fix it and try to make it easier to read as a continuous story rather than various choppy replies, but you can tell it switches narrators' POVs frequently. It was also done last year, (before volume 2) so please forgive the overdone storyline.**

**My partner who wrote a lot of Blake's parts in the beginning was named Tiffany. Thanks for writing with me for a time, and I hope you're well.**

**And finally, posting this for Wern212's birthday! Thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Dark Forest

Chapter 1.

Weiss grunted as a paw-full of powerful claws clashed with Myrtenaster.

Her parry was last-second, but just in time to deflect another blow; Weiss could go without sustaining another one in addition to the gash that was already bleeding through the left side of her combat skirt.

The impact of the hit sent her skidding back several yards, staggering against a tree.

This was bad. She'd already lost sight of Ruby and Yang amidst the fray. She couldn't afford to lose Blake as well.

Lifting her head, she scoured the surrounding area of the Emerald Forest, seeking out the Faunus girl. She was more than a little relieved when she spotted her, engaged with another Ursa not too far away. If Ruby and Yang were long gone by now, then Blake and herself needed to stick together no matter what.

The vicious battle had been going on for over ten minutes already, but the number of Ursa was dwindling. Unfortunately, so was the girls' stamina, and their auras were healing their wounds at a much slower rate now.

Weiss cast a glyph beneath her feet, aiming to leap to Blake's side. But another charging Grimm intercepted her before she could move more than a few feet, her spell dissipating uselessly as she was forced to fight the Ursa. She cursed under her breath.

This was _really_ bad.

Meanwhile, Blake let out a hiss of exasperation as an Ursa's claw slammed into her raised sheath. For a moment, she held her ground, but the pressure was too much and she was thrown back.

Blake grit her teeth; this fight was most definitely _not_ going in her favor.

The Faunus girl pushed herself up from off the ground, ignoring the excruciating pain on her waist.

She took a moment to scout the area, finding that Yang and Ruby were gone, most likely having been pushed back. The Faunus girl bit her lower lip; she couldn't help but worry about her teammates.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw Weiss fail the casting of her glyph.

They needed to withdraw as soon as possible.

Sucking in a deep breath, Blake focused on the oncoming Ursa. She was already injured, so she needed to finish the Grimm she was currently fighting off without receiving any more wounds.

With a small grunt, Blake used a clone to push herself out of the way of the Ursa's path. As it passed, the Faunus girl swung out Gambol Shroud, and effectively propelled it forward with a bullet. The Ursa froze as the weapon struck into its back.

After a few moments, it fell forward, and Blake jerked her arm back, recoiling Gambol Shroud into her hands. She whirled around, eyes scanning for Weiss. It didn't take her long to spot the heiress struggling with another bear.

Blake dashed forward toward the heiress, cleaver up and ready to block the oncoming swing of an Ursa at Weiss' blind side. A groan left Blake's lips as the Ursa's claws collided with her weapon, but she wasn't about to let it overpower her with her teammate right there.

Her amber eyes were slit with concentration. She couldn't afford to receive any more injuries. Had she really dwindled down in combat that much? She felt rustier than she had in her White Fang days.

"Weiss, any ideas?" Blake called over her shoulder, pushing the Ursa back.

Weiss fended off another of the beasts just as Blake got to her side. Her teammate was tattered as well, and though she was obviously trying to conceal it, the effects the battle was having on her were clear.

They were both enervated and wouldn't last much longer.

She grunted her thanks briefly as Blake eliminated the Ursa behind her, turning the chamber of her rapier to red to repulse her next opponent. She made sure not to collide with Blake on the recoil, side-stepping quickly. The beast bellowed in a blind rage as its arm was severed, and Weiss darted in for the kill, slicing its throat with a swift motion of her blade.

"We've- ugh-!" She spat in annoyance as another swing forced her to dodge before she could reply to Blake. "We've got to retreat! I'm not sure which direction Ruby and Yang headed off to, so we'll just have to get away to any area we can and contact them later!"

Another swing of claws that she couldn't deflect properly met Myrtenaster, and the collision sent a shudder through Weiss' body; it took all she had not to let the rapier fly from her grip.

"Just-! Deal with that one for now!" she shouted to her teammate. "I'll handle this one and then as soon as you've finished, come to my side! I'll get us out of here."

Blake's feet dug into the ground as the beast's claws pushed down on her. Desperately, she pushed back; the feeling of being _crushed_ was not pleasant in the slightest.

An absentminded and quiet growl left her lips as she drove her katana into the Ursa's stomach. With a flick of her wrist, the blade moved through its chest area before she pulled it out, kicking the Ursa to avoid having it fall on top of her.

The Faunus girl looked back at Weiss, checking to see how her teammate was holding out. Though, while doing so, she failed to notice the oncoming Grimm.

She hissed as she realized it at the last second, reflexively raising her left arm to protect her face as it swung its claws. Three relatively deep gashes spread on her arm.

After a few seconds, Blake recovered from her frozen state of being caught off guard. She grit her teeth tightly, and shoved Gambol Shroud forward into the beast's face, promptly killing it as the blade pierced its mask and head.

She scanned around the battleground for a moment, making sure there were no others in close proximity before she turned and stumbled to Weiss' side once more.

There were still about ten Ursa left in the area, and there was no way the two of them could handle them alone in the conditions they were in.

As much as they hated to admit it, they needed to retreat.

After all, it was better to admit defeat and get away wounded to fight another day than to die in battle choking on foolish pride.

Weiss fended off one more of the beasts, plunging Myrtenaster's blade in between its eyes before giving and almighty twist and firing. Blood sprayed as the beast staggered back, roaring.

There was a brief second of pause, and nothing moved.

Then, Blake was at her side, and Weiss took her cue. Without stopping to catch her breath, she cast a glyph beneath them both, grabbing hold of Blake's uninjured arm to keep her on the circle.

"Be ready to jump," she warned.

Blake nodded.

Seconds later - just before the next Ursa's claws reached them - the spell was initiated. Weiss gathered herself and leapt high, Blake following along.

The heiress continued to cast her glyphs into a path as they jumped above the treetops where there was enough space to do so.

For Blake, it was a little frightening when they were launched above the trees, considering Weiss didn't have much grip on her. But she trusted her teammate, so she simply shrugged it off.

Weiss carried them until she knew it was far enough away that the Grimm wouldn't follow. She could only hope no more were waiting for them where they landed. She took them down slowly, letting the circles dissipate behind her, feeling the relief of her boots hitting solid ground. Her grip on Myrtenaster was weak, and her hands went to her knees as she released Blake and caught her breath at long last.

As they settled down on the ground, the Faunus girl took a quick look at their surroundings.

Weiss definitely needed some time to rest, having used her semblance so much while she was already exhausted; that didn't necessarily mean she herself didn't need to rest either.

Blake let out a small sigh of relief when she saw there were no other surrounding Grimm. The Faunus girl's hands trembled as she gently tugged the detached sleeve from her arm. A shaky breath left her lips, and she let the piece of cloth fall to the ground.

It took a minute, but Weiss finally regained her breath, straightening her posture gradually. Blake didn't seem too concerned about their surroundings, therefore Weiss assumed they were not in immediate danger.

After a moment of inspecting her own wound, Blake looked up to her teammate.

"Do you have any bad wounds? If you do, let me treat them," she insisted. She'd much rather help Weiss before tending to her own injuries. Months with team RWBY had made her come to treasure her friends and teammates, and she put them before herself now.

Sheathing Myrtenaster, Weiss looked Blake over, ignoring her question for the moment. The Faunus girl sported various cuts, but the worst were three long gashes down her left arm, still dripping crimson to her wrist. Weiss tensed at the sight; she hated seeing _any _of her teammates wounded, but there was something different about when it was Blake, something that made Weiss feel sick to her stomach.

Weiss stepped close to Blake, reaching out tentatively to brush her fingertips against the girl's arm. She began emitting a bit of her remaining healing aura onto the wound; sharing aura with another person in addition to their own would speed up the process of treating the injury, even if only a little bit.

"Weiss-" Blake tensed slightly at the contact, but after a moment, she relaxed, a small sigh leaving her lips as Weiss' aura was shared with her.

As she healed Blake, the heiress finally answered the other girl's question, flicking her eyes down to the still-bleeding wound on her left side that ran from her ribcage to her hip.

"Just that," she commented, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

"Weiss, you-" Blake jerked back when she saw the wound. How had she not noticed it before? "You shouldn't be sharing your aura with me if you're injured yourself," she insisted, eyebrows creasing with worry. "Preserve it to heal that." She motioned towards her teammate's wound.

Glancing at her own arm again, Blake simply shrugged. "Mine isn't that bad; I'll just bandage it up. Yours is worse." Weiss' injury was substantially larger than her own, and quite possibly deeper as well.

"Yours can still get infected," Weiss murmured stubbornly. She made sure to emit her aura onto Blake until the blood had stopped flowing from the wounds, concentrating a bit more until she was satisfied. She withdrew her hands and swayed slightly, but quickly composed herself.

Blake's hand reached forward to steady her teammate. She looked up to seek Weiss' eyes, stopping before she actually made contact with her injury.

"Still... May I…?" she asked.

At her teammate's inquiry, the heiress hesitated. She knew Blake wasn't going to hurt her - just the opposite. But she was still a bit hesitant for whatever reason.

Weiss lifted her left arm a bit to reveal the wound, her sky-blue combat skirt smeared with blood. She hadn't realized how much it hurt until now, and a throbbing sting synchronized with her heartbeat, causing her to wince.

"Just… don't use too much of your aura, either," she cautioned.

Blake nodded, swallowing thickly as she ever-so-gently placed her hand over Weiss' wound. Weiss sucked a breath in through her teeth as her teammate made contact with her side, and the Faunus girl mumbled a soft apology.

Then, Blake began to share her aura with the girl, just as Weiss had done for her. A faint warmth began to spread throughout the heiress' body with the gash at the epicenter. She closed her eyes, slowing her breathing as Blake's aura resonated within her.

It was the first time Weiss had ever shared aura with someone else or had the action done unto her. But the foreign sensation wasn't intrusive, nor did it try to suppress her own aura. Rather, it was gentle and flowing, like a tranquil stream of liquid velvet, merging with her own life force.

After some time, the wound's bleeding stopped and Weiss' tight-knit expression relaxed a little, signifying that a bit of the pain had subsided.

Blake pulled back, slightly more drained now. With a sigh, she ungracefully wiped Weiss' blood from her hand onto her black leggings - her clothing was already a mess, it wouldn't matter much if she got them any more dirty.

Weiss let out a sigh as well when her teammate pulled away. Upon reopening her eyes, the heiress offered a murmur of thanks.

It was only then Weiss noticed just how much blood coated Blake's attire; though thankfully, most of it wasn't her own. Her hair was matted and her skin was streaked with dirt and forest debris. Weiss didn't look any better, and she wanted nothing more than to get back to Beacon and shower.

The two of them scoured the trees around themselves once more for good measure.

After a moment of silence, Blake spoke up again.

"Do you have your scroll? I lost mine during the fight." She had planned to contact their other two teammates with it, had something like this happened, but she couldn't do much about losing the device now.

At the question, Weiss reached into the pouch at her hip to retrieve her scroll, but it didn't even turn on. There was no chance of sending a message to either Ruby or Yang.

"It's no good," she announced.

Blake's figure visibly slumped slightly. She was worried for her other two teammates; she needed to know that they were okay and well. She knew Weiss wanted to know the same, no doubt.

The heiress ran a hand through her ponytail and continued.

"We'll have to choose a direction and stick with it entirely. We're in a forest after all, and if we're halfway into a forest, then we're halfway out."

They might not end up back at Beacon, but anywhere was better than the woods where the shadows were teeming with Grimm.

"You pick which way we should go," Weiss offered. Blake's superior senses would be much less likely to lead them astray than Weiss' less perceptive ones.

Blake took another moment to look around. Her bow twitched slightly as her Faunus ears were put to use. She then reached up and tugged the restraining ribbon off so she could utilize her ears to the fullest. They swiveled slightly, stretching as they were released from their bindings.

"This way," she murmured, heading off into the direction opposite from where they had come from. Weiss nodded and fell into step beside her.

Blake was on high alert as she moved through the thick forest; just because her Faunus senses couldn't pick up on anything bad didn't necessarily mean that there wasn't trouble lurking. But it seemed time wasn't on their side; the sun was beginning to sink in a matter of moments.

Amber orbs reduced to slits as she looked through the growing darkness. Rest was becoming an essential thing now; she doubted they'd be able to make it out tonight.

A shiver ran through Blake. She hoped Ruby and Yang were together someplace warm, even if they needed to use the blonde's semblance for heat. The wind that was cutting through the trees now was chilled and ominous.

Blake stopped, turning to face Weiss. "Let's find someplace to rest for the night. We can take shifts or something and rest," she offered. "My senses aren't exactly at their best right now, and you look quite tired as well."

_"Have you completely lost your mind?!"_

This was what Weiss _would_ have shouted under any other circumstances, but as things were now, she couldn't say the phrase aloud. Blake was right; they needed to preserve what little energy they had left and attempt to restore their auras when they slept.

If they would even be _able_ to sleep.

"You're right," Weiss muttered, sending her gaze out through the trees. No pairs of red eyes looked back, and she took a bit of solace in that fact. But just because they couldn't sense the Grimm didn't mean they weren't there. "We should find a clearing of sorts, someplace where the trees aren't so closely packed together, where we could see or hear an attack coming from a short distance away even if we were asleep."

As she spoke, she continued to follow her teammate while she moved at a subdued pace. They had only been walking for a few minutes, but even that much was enough to drain them significantly. Their muscles were still sore and strained from the drawn-out fight, and the movement was agitating their injuries anew.

But it was getting dark. They needed to hurry and find somewhere to rest for the night.

Wincing a bit at the throbbing in her side, Weiss proposed a query:

"I'm debating as to whether or not we should start a fire. On one hand, it could attract attention from Beacon if they were to send out a search party, and it would keep us somewhat warm. On the other hand, it could just as easily attract Grimm to our location. What do you think?"

Blake thought about it for a moment. They didn't exactly know how far they were from Beacon, so the chances that their fellows would catch sight of a fire were slim. It was also getting darker by the second, so the smoke wouldn't be as visible as it would be in the day.

In addition to that, no one knew exactly how well Grimm could see at night, so the fire may or may not attract more of the monsters than they would've expected.

Blake's eyebrows creased at the simple thought.

"Let's not," she said bluntly. "We don't know how far exactly we are from the school, and it's almost nighttime; I doubt people would be looking for a smoke signal. In addition to that, I don't think it would pleasant if we had a giant Nevermore stalking over our campsite," she pointed out.

"Right…" Weiss trailed off when she heard Blake's explanation. Everything she said was absolutely correct.

To be honest, Weiss had known the appropriate answer even before she'd asked the question. She simply didn't fancy the thought of being more-or-less _blind_ in the middle of the Emerald Forest at night. She knew Blake's senses were sharp and reliable - much more so than her own - but the heiress was still uneasy about it.

Weiss continued to follow her through the trees, and the sun sunk further and further down until it had almost completely vanished. The sky was dyed crimson and rosy hues, and she thought it would have been an enjoyable sight if not for the predicament they were in.

Weiss shook her head. She needed to focus now.

Blake's eyes also ran over the sunset. She had never been one for scenery very much, but she took a moment to let herself indulge in the rather beautiful sight. Only for a moment, though. Then, amber orbs hardened as she reminded herself where exactly she was and the circumstances. Her body ached with each movement, but she endured it.

Everything would be okay in the end - she hoped.

They trekked on for several more minutes, until at last, Blake brought them to a somewhat more open area. It was a small clearing with the trees skirting around a small stretch of grass. A fallen tree lie in the center, which could be good to provide them a bit of cover. They could even lean back against it to be more alert when they took shifts.

Blake squinted through the darkness present at their temporarily resting place. Even with her enhanced senses, it was still rather challenging to see in the blackness.

The two of them made their way over to the clearing. It was quiet and still, copious with shadows that danced like silent harbingers, beckoning something ominous.

Weiss shuddered a bit, but tried to keep the tremor out of her voice.

"Let's just scope out the area to make sure it's safe."

"Alright," Blake agreed, beginning to move again. Though, after a moment, she stopped to glance back at the heiress. "You can go ahead and rest for now. I can scout the perimeter on my own," the she stated.

She honestly didn't want Weiss to push herself too much. Quite obviously, Weiss was more than tired, and Blake couldn't help but feel the need to prioritize her.

She didn't wait for a response, and she continued walking, looking away from Weiss as she did so. She pulled Gambol Shroud off from her back - just in case an unexpected Grimm were to attack.

The heiress had nearly snapped a remark in protest. She was injured, not _helpless_. She could scout just fine.

Stubbornly, she began heading in the opposite direction as Blake turned away and advanced. However, the heiress didn't get very far before a dull pain started throbbing in her side, causing her to freeze in place, hissing a breath through her teeth.

In the end, she decided against scouting after all, and limped over to the fallen tree, keeping an eye on Blake as she moved about through the shadows.

Weiss was cautious even as she approached the tree; good thing too, considering a small snake slithered out from between the dug-up roots. She jumped back with a start, causing a new wave of pain to shoot through her chest.

With a groan, she walked around the rest of the trunk, using Myrtenaster to prod at the branches to dislodge any other possible inhabitants. When she was satisfied, she slowly sat down, casting her gaze out to seek her teammate. She nearly began to panic when she couldn't find Blake immediately, but soon spotted her not far off.

That was the first time Weiss had ever wished she had night-vision.

Blake glanced over at the heiress as she moved towards the fallen tree. A small smirk made its way to her lips. She had seen Weiss going the other way, and the hiss that left Weiss' lips didn't go unnoticed either. She was glad she had told her teammate to simply rest, otherwise she'd be scouting… in pain.

The thought of it wasn't exactly pleasing.

The Faunus girl tried not to hurry as she moved around the perimeter, which seemed to be completely clear. She was tired as well, and really just wanted to rest alongside Weiss. It'd be better if her other teammates were there also, but that obviously wasn't going to happen any time soon, if at all.

Blake was oblivious to Weiss' worry as she seemingly vanished into the shadows. It had always been kind of a natural thing for her, considering her previous occupation.

After she was sure that the perimeter was clear, she made her way towards the fallen tree, moving to sheath Gambol Shroud on her back.

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief when she glimpsed Blake heading toward her at long last. Her teammate hadn't seemed to have found any lurking creatures keeping tabs on them for the time being, so with any luck, they would get at least a short amount of time to relax.

Well, as much "relaxing" as they could do in their current situation.

The heiress slid herself off from the fallen tree and instead sank to the ground with a grunt, leaning back against the log for support. She removed Myrtenaster from her hip carefully and placed it aside. However, she was sure to keep the hilt within immediate reach, as she hardly fancied the idea of letting her beloved blade be misplaced so much as a millimeter.

By the time Blake reached her, the sky had lost its rogue hue and gone almost completely black, drained of color.

Weiss didn't like it in the slightest. She preferred being able to see clearly, and wasn't too keen on having to rely solely on auditory aspects alone, and even those were inferior to her teammate's. She had to admit that Blake was her eyes now, and hated feeling like she was using the Faunus girl.

Weiss felt… substantially useless. Insufficient.

She raised her head almost guiltily and squinted up at the Faunus girl in the darkness. There was something alluring about Blake's silhouette against the backdrop of the fading sunset, something terrifying and yet so beautifully fitting for her. Weiss thought she might have felt a beat of fear pass through her heart for an instant when she saw the glint of her golden eyes, her movements silent as death itself.

The heiress lowered her gaze and cleared her throat. "Sorry for the trouble. I know you're exhausted," she murmured. "Even if you're going to be taking the first shift, you should sit down. I want you where I can see you. Or… _almost_ see you," she growled in frustration. "Better yet, I want you in contact with me somehow. I know I won't be sleeping lightly - if at all - so I want to know you're where you should be and haven't gone wandering off on your own."

The way she spoke made her sound more authoritative than anything else, but in truth it was only a guise of sorts; honestly, she was fearful for Blake's wellbeing even more so than her own.

The scent of blood from Weiss' wound was likely leaking into the air and announcing their presences, making them fair game for hungry Grimm; she wanted to know that Blake was beside her, or could escape if she needed to.

Obediently, Blake moved to sit down on the fallen log. She had planned to do that anyways; her legs - or rather, her whole body - was quite worn out.

Blake scoffed a little, rolling her eyes at the heiress' speech. "What? You want me to hold your hand or something?" she mused, staying in her sitting position. "Really, don't worry about it, Weiss. I'm staying here," the Faunus assured, glancing down at her.

It… honestly made her feel strange that a Schnee - she had nothing against them, but her previous affiliation wasn't exactly on good terms with them - was worried about her.

Or perhaps the heiress was… simply using her.

The thought ran a shiver down her spine, and amber orbs hardened.

Blake shouldn't have thoughts like that; she knew better. Weiss genuinely cared for her - or Blake thought as much. Rather, she _knew_ as much.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll sit beside you," the Faunus girl mumbled, getting up from her seat on the log.

Careful not to bump Weiss or her weapon, Blake moved to rest next to the heiress on the ground, and Weiss felt a bit better. Just a bit.

After settling in, Blake turned her gaze to the other.

"Now rest, Weiss. I'll wake you up in a few hours or so," she ordered, moving to take Gambol Shroud off her back again. She set the weapon down beside her, keeping one hand on the hilt.

Blake's head came to rest on the log with a faint thunk.

Weiss said nothing as she closed her eyes, trying her best to stay calm as she let the exhaustion wash over her like a tide. But sleep didn't come easily, and she kept fidgeting, sighing and re-opening her eyes before trying again.

Blake watched her for a moment before pulling her gaze away. She needed a distraction, mainly so she could stay awake. She found herself counting the stars and listening to the dim noises, as well as Weiss' breathing.

She found it strange how she had a distinct need to protect the heiress; it was always different from Ruby and Yang.

Perhaps it was the fact that they were basically… opposites, she assumed. The difficulties that came with Weiss being a Schnee, and Blake being an ex-White Fang member. The Faunus girl always felt the need to prove that she wasn't a threat, leading her to want to protect the heiress.

It was a rather legitimate reason, she just assumed that it was correct.

Weiss had given up on trying to sleep for now and kept her eyes open, watching Blake's profile as she gazed up at the sky.

Briefly, she had to wonder _when_ exactly she had changed to be so accustomed to her teammates' presences. She had grown up more or less alone, never coming into contact with people frequently or for extended periods of time, not even with her own sister. Since coming to Beacon, it had been almost nonstop shoulder pats and bear hugs from Ruby and Yang respectively.

Perhaps that was why she was a bit more drawn to Blake, because the Faunus girl never smothered her. Weiss was used to the chill of vacant space.

So why was she shivering now? Why did she feel the urge to slide in closer to Blake? She could feel her teammate's presence less than a foot away, hear her soft breath as it billowed in the chilly twilight, see her alert golden gaze as it darted about.

She _knew_ Blake was right there beside her. So why was Weiss longing for contact?

She told herself over and over again that she needed to believe Blake's offer to hold her hand had been nothing more than a jest.

Scoffing to herself, Weiss closed her eyes again, intent to get a good sleep simply so she could keep and effective vigil over Blake when it was her time to return the favor. She leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes.

"Wake me if anything happens. _Anything_."

"I know," Blake said simply. It wasn't like she was just going to leave the heiress sleeping if a Grimm were to show up; she'd want to get the other out of there as fast as she could.

The wind provided a periodic howl as it slipped through the trees, leaves and branches rustling and rattling like clattering bones. But even with that level of noise, it was still _too _quiet.

Over the past two months, Weiss had been conditioned to fall asleep to the sounds of Ruby's mumbles and Yang's snores; now that it was silent, she couldn't stop shifting about. Every muffled sound from the distant undergrowth caused the heiress' eyes to snap open, losing whatever degree of sleep that had been trying to pull her consciousness into slumber.

As Weiss struggled to fall asleep, the Faunus girl continued staring up at the sky, finding that it was much better than the eerie-looking forest. She would occasionally glance down, just to check if anything was approaching without her knowing. She doubted that it would happen, but she did it anyway, just in case.

The small field was clear of any unwanted specimens, but there was an unsettling feeling in Blake's gut.

After about ten uneasy minutes, Blake's ears flicked at the sound of her companion's voice:

"This is hopeless."

Blake glanced over at the heiress.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, amber orbs glowing in the dark.

_Is there a problem, she asks…_ Weiss repeated in her mind. "Nothing aside from, oh, say _this entire situation?_" she grunted aloud.

When she heard the natural venom in her own voice, she was taken aback, realizing how ungrateful she must have sounded. That part of her voice was something she had learned when she'd first been taught how to speak, something her father imposed upon her; to always speak with authority and power so those around her knew to respect and fear her. She was a Schnee, after all.

Blake was understandably shocked by the girl's vehemence. Amber orbs widened slightly for a moment, startled a little by Weiss' reaction. She looked away from the other girl, opting to stare off into the thick trees. She didn't quite understand why she was hurt by the words - or rather the dissatisfied tone. Many people had used it with her, and she thought she would've grown accustomed to it by now. It was mostly used by humans, as well.

During her younger years, she had protested peacefully, but of course, humans didn't exactly approve of this. Many used hateful tones, and it had hurt at first. But years of verbal abuse - and some physical - had finally made her used to it.

So why did that tone actually _sting_ when Weiss used it with her?

In the darkness, she could clearly see the hurt on the heiress' face, how taken aback she was by her own voice.

And Weiss felt rotten for speaking so rashly. She didn't want Blake to resent her.

She knew that Blake still felt immense guilt for the actions the White Fang had taken against her family's company in the past. The last thing she wanted was for Blake to tread on eggshells around her; she wanted her to be comfortable, and she wanted her own presence to be at least somewhat bearable to the Faunus girl.

But Weiss' cranky attitude and snapping voice certainly weren't helping right now.

A moment passed before the heiress corrected herself, lowering her voice by means of apology.

"I'm sorry. I'm just _flustered_ about all of this. I can't see, I can hardly _move_, and I doubt I'd be able to fight very will if need be." She sighed, rolling her head back momentarily to join Blake in her stargazing. "I guess I'm pretty useless, aren't I?"

The Faunus girl grunted in disagreement.

"It's fine, Weiss," she assured, her gaze turning back to the heiress. "I understand you're tired and all; it was a simple slip of the tongue. It was my fault, really. It's quite obvious what the problem is," she mumbled the last sentence, opting to look back up at the night sky as well. "You're not useless; don't think like that. We're just… not in exactly the best of predicaments," she sighed. "We're both exhausted - and wounded - so don't bring yourself down."

Weiss heaved a sigh of relief; Blake had forgiven her for her miscommunication. She felt as though a small weight had been lifted from her chest.

_Thank goodness_.

Blake was a clever and perceptive girl, and Weiss should have known she wouldn't misinterpret her words so easily. But the heiress made a conscious decision to be more competent with her word choice from now on, particularly if similar circumstances were ever to arise.

No amount of pretty words could ever take away her feelings of helplessness in their present situation, but Blake was trying, and the effort was certainly appreciated. Her words were not dismissive or thoughtlessly-spoken phrases meant to shut Weiss up. Rather, they were spoken from the heart, and had a genuine aspect about them.

Blake wasn't trying to sugar-coat things with childish optimism either, and Weiss was grateful that she was more down-to-earth than some other people might have been right now.

Again, Weiss found this was something that drew her to Blake, her level-headedness and inability to lie through her teeth. When she _did_ lie, she was good at it, and Weiss could commend such things, considering she was fairly awful at it herself.

She realized her mind was wandering, going off down haphazard routes of thought that held little to no credibility right now. So she closed her eyes again, recognizing this as a possible foretelling of oncoming sleep. But her lips parted in a soft whisper first.

"Thank you, Blake."

It just felt right to thank her after what she'd said.

At last, Weiss felt her conscious slipping, the pain in her side having settled and dulled a bit with her lack of motion. Before very much longer, Weiss fell into a slumber she didn't have much choice in succumbing too, but there were no complaints on her end.

Blake found herself watching the heiress as she fell asleep.

The Faunus girl believed it to be relatively strange, having Weiss looking so… vulnerable.

Weiss had originally seemed rather bitter to those around her, always careful with whom she befriended. Blake knew full-well that it was due to the conditions Weiss had been forced to grow up with.

A pool of guilt began to form in her stomach. Blake had always felt somewhat responsible for the heiress' more-than-solemn childhood, even if she hadn't intended for it in the first place. She always had to remind herself that she had been in the White Fang for good reasons; she'd wanted to help mend the bond between humans and Faunus.

She'd never planned to hurt others. But it had happened.

And Blake still felt guilty for it every day.

For a while, she remained tense, but after hearing Weiss' words of thanks, she relaxed, a small sigh leaving her lips. It was strange how those words had simply washed away all of her guilt for the time being, though the Faunus girl knew it would be back eventually.

For now though, Blake simply indulged herself in more pleasant thoughts - while keeping watch, of course. She was confident in her enhanced senses, so there really was no need for her to be on her highest alert.

The night was quiet and calm, for the most part.

Blake only hoped it would remain that way.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I know this chapter was hard to follow even with my editing. Since it was roleplay style, some parts were repeated through both character's eyes, and sometimes sends the reader back in time for a second or two.**

**But the next chapter is entirely written by me, so I tried to eliminate the character's switching POVs and just wrote it as a normal fic. Again, sorry for the confusion, but I wanted to keep most of Tiffany's writing as it was.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's my improvised ending to this roleplay situation. It's nothing groundbreaking, considering the original RP idea was pretty basic and just meant for us two writers to get to know each other's writing styles. It's an overused concept (the fight in the woods against Grimm), but bear with me, if you choose to read. Dedicated to Moongarm; thank you!**

**A/N: I wish I was alright enough to write a separate story in light of what's happened a few days ago with Monty's passing. I can only dedicate this chapter to him, as well. Words cannot describe what you meant to me - to all of us. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2.

Blake wasn't sure how much time had passed - at least 5 hours, she assumed, considering the positioning of the moon.

She was sure she must've dozed off a few times during her shift, only to be woken by a sudden gust of wind or something of the like. Reaching out, Blake tentatively shook the heiress' shoulder.

"Weiss..." Her voice was raspy due to lack of use.

Weiss felt her consciousness coming back to her, and for a moment, nothing mattered; she was simply waking up after a good rest.

Until the memories of the current situation came rushing back to her.

She jolted a bit as she saw Blake's darkened figure shaking her awake, and nearly cried out in alarm before she recalled their circumstances. With the return of her senses came the return of the pain assaulting her side and she winced.

Blake's amber eyes reduced to slits when she noticed her teammate's pain, but she didn't know what she could do to help, not when she herself was so exhausted like this.

Weiss noticed how enervated Blake was, too; on top of not having eaten since the previous morning before their departure, she had also fought vigorously in battle, and now had stayed awake on watch for several hours into the chilly night. Weiss gave her an appalled look as she noticed the position of the moon.

"Blake! Why did you let me sleep for so long? You should have woken me hours ago! You look like you're about to fall over - and you're already sitting!"

"I'm fine, Weiss. It wasn't that long," Blake lied, mumbling. "And I-"

"Hush," Weiss snapped. She moved stiffly as she placed her hands on Blake's shoulders, having her lean back against the trunk of the fallen tree. "Now rest. I'll keep watch until sunrise. I've slept well enough. You need to replenish your aura and rest your body to give your wounds some time to heal."

The heiress hoisted herself up onto the fallen log, sheathing Myrtenaster at her hip before sliding closer to Blake, letting the girl rest her head against Weiss' legs rather than the hard bark of the log.

Weiss had enough of her aura back now where it wouldn't hurt to share. Resting her hands on Blake's shoulders again, she began to emit a gentle flow of it, urging her teammate into the realm of slumber.

"Sleep," she murmured on a quiet breath. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll keep us safe."

A small grunt left Blake's lips as she leaned against the heiress' legs, though she had to admit it was much nicer than the fallen tree. The trickle of Weiss' aura felt heavenly as well.

Still, she had to protest.

"Thanks. But you should save your aura, Weiss. Wake me if anything happens, and don't let me sleep too long," she mumbled, amber eyes sliding closed. Her shoulders went lax, and she was about to protest again when she realized Weiss still hadn't stopped sharing her aura.

But the small stream of her teammate's energy was what eventually guided her to rest.

Weiss felt the tension leave Blake's body as the Faunus girl succumbed to sleep, uneasy as it may have been.

The heiress was alert now as she cast her gaze about the dark forest. Her rest had found her much more vigilant now, and though her senses were not nearly as good as Blake's, she felt she could hear better in the eerie silence. She closed her eyes briefly, lowering her senses of sight and smell so she may focus on her ears. She seemed to hear every leaf tremble on the breeze, every breath Blake inhaled as she slept.

Reopening her eyes, Weiss continued her shift, eventually pulling her hands back into her lap and stopping the flow of her aura onto her teammate.

She leaned back a bit and looked up at the open canvas of the sky, vast and endless like an ocean of ebony, stars speckling brightly across its expanse. It was a much more beautiful scene without all the artificial light pollution, and had the situation been different, Weiss might have taken more time to enjoy it. But she didn't get the chance now.

For an hour or so, Blake seemed to sleep peacefully. But not long afterward, she began to shift uncomfortably, bit by bit until she was twitching and whimpering.

Weiss had been focused on her stargazing, keeping herself alert for sounds or signs of danger, but all was quiet. It was then she felt Blake's shoulders twitching and directed her eyes back to her sleeping teammate. Weiss reached forward, placing a pacifying hand on her back for a moment.

But not even the gentle touch served Blake any good.

Nightmares tormented her, her brow creasing with uneasiness. These kinds of dreams were normal for Blake, and she was usually able to hide it quite well. But the current perilous situation reminded her much of the past, and this nightmare was much more crippling than the usual night terrors.

Another small whimper left her lips, nails digging unconsciously into the ground.

Blake absolutely hated nightmares, and nothing would ever change that fact. They were always there, from as far back as she could recall. As a child, her nightmares were really only of human abuse, which she had experienced more than she liked to admit.

As years went by, the nightmares had grown increasingly worse, to the point where she had them of her own allies. It really changed when the old leader of the White Fang stepped down, and the new one rose up. Things changed, and Blake was still young - she wasn't used to the type of violence they used. Nonetheless, she was forced into it, though she resented it.

Night after night, she would have them, but there was really nothing she could do about it. She thought that leaving the White Fang would help somewhat - though that obviously wasn't the main reason why she left. Leaving didn't help in the slightest with the nightmares.

In the end, it actually made things worse. She was afraid that they would find her, and end up hurting her teammates, whom became dear to her.

That was the last thing she wanted. For her teammates to get hurt because of her.

But that's usually what the nightmares were about.

And Weiss knew that something was wrong instantly. She felt Blake shift against her legs, her back trembling, the outlines of her ears flicking sharply on occasion before swiveling in discomfort. The small whines she was making weren't just the mumbles of one sleeping anymore - they were sounds of fear, pleas for help.

"Blake?" Weiss called her name softly, hating to wake her, but hating even more to see her trapped in her nightmares like this.

Blake had nightmares often. Weiss would hear her whimpers from time to time from across the room and always felt guilty about never being able to do anything about it.

But now she could.

"Blake...?" She said again, and this time she placed her hands on the girl's back. She nearly pulled back when she felt Blake's pulse beneath her left shoulder, hard and frantic. Concerned now, Weiss shook her gently. "Blake? Blake, I'm sorry, but please wake up."

Blake's condition only seemed to worsen as the seconds ticked on, and Weiss debated whether or not she should shake her harder. Though she could hardly see under the dark cover of night now, she could still make out the shape of her teammate, the shades of her clothes.

Weiss couldn't bear to watch this, to listen to those strangled sounds she was making-

Weiss gasped when Blake suddenly jolted and scrambled to her feet. She'd clearly felt Weiss shaking her, and a low hiss left her lips as she whipped her arm back to grab her weapon, irritating her wound. Though Gambol Shroud wasn't on her back, where it would typically be.

"Blake!" Weiss gasped again, slightly startled.

Blake's ears flattened at the sound of her name, the sounds of the forest hindering her senses. Her eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, and she had forgotten that it was Weiss - it was Weiss here with her in the forest.

Not Adam; not the White Fang.

Amber orbs reduced to slits as she struggled to see through the night. Her good arm raised to the other, rubbing around the wound as she hoped it would ease the pain. Her mind hadn't quite put the pieces back together just yet, so she remained silent as she glared, ready to defend herself if need be.

The sharpness of Blake's motions made it obvious to the heiress that her teammate would reopen her wound if she kept moving like that; Weiss knew she had to calm her down.

"Blake- Blake!" She put her hands up in front of her chest by means of peace, trying to sooth her. "It's okay. It was just a bad dream," she said, voice lowering into a reassuring murmur.

Weiss knew her next words were lies, considering where they were, but she was intent on making them the truth:

"You're safe, Blake. Nothing's going to hurt you. You're okay."

She reached out, groping to find Blake's hands and take them into her own, rubbing her thumbs over the backs of her sore knuckles as she pulled the girl closer to her, doing her best to calm her.

But she could tell something was wrong, that her teammate still wasn't fully in control of herself.

Years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of humans drove Blake to the edge, her senses still disoriented from the wounds she'd sustained in battle. In the dark shadows – in Blake's eyes right now – Weiss was just another enemy.

Blake couldn't stop herself, too delirious to think rationally, mind still clouded.

She lashed out, sharpened nails scoring over flesh as she shoved Weiss away in a furious panic. Weiss didn't even have the chance to react before she saw the flash of fear in Blake's eyes, and not a second later felt a piercing pain in her side.

Blake's nails had scraped over her pre-existing wound, as well as down her opposite wrist. Weiss' efforts to reach out and touch the girl's hand had resulted in cruel red streaks down her own porcelain skin.

The force of the shove sent Weiss reeling, falling back into the dust with a pained sound that suggesting to Blake just how hard she'd pushed.

The Faunus girl crouched over her, knees bent, ready to tear off until-

-until she realized what she'd done.

She finally seemed to be free of her nightmares and blinked herself back into reality – only that too, had now turned into a nightmare.

Her own teammate lie before her in the dirt, gasping in pain.

And it was all because of Blake.

"Weiss..."

She reached out, the muscles of her arm tight with uncertainty, but she couldn't bring herself to make contact with the heiress. She was too scared she'd see the same look of terror in Weiss' eyes, the same look Blake had seen in the eyes of every human she'd ever hurt unintentionally. The White Fang had more or less forced her to do so in the past, but now it was only Blake. No one had made her lash out at Weiss other than herself.

"I'm... s-sorry..."

Blake dug her heels into the grit of the earth and spun around, tearing off across the clearing as fast as her bruised legs would allow. She stumbled and nearly collapsed due to the pain shooting throughout her body with every jolting step, but Blake didn't stop running, not even after she reached the tightly-packed army of surrounding trees. She followed her instinct rather than abiding to any shred of logic that tried to claw its way into her mind.

Run.

It was the only reaction she knew.

And so she did, pelting through the silent forest with nothing driving her other than her night-vision and the fear of turning around and being reminded of what she had done.

Her ears still picked up on the fading echos of Weiss' voice as she called out after her, but Blake didn't want to hear anymore.

"_Blake!_"

Weiss hissed again, desperately scrambling to get up and keep her eyes trained on the blur of her teammate's figure. But it was only seconds before Weiss lost sight of her, Blake's burst of speed and the enveloping darkness serving to hinder her vision and leave her helpless.

She cursed, finally getting onto her feet. Running into these woods at night injured and alone was suicide, and the commotion they'd just made had surely alerted a nearby Grimm or two to their location.

But despite all of that, Weiss was simply not about to let Blake run away from her like that.

Grabbing Myrtenaster, she secured it at her hip, and the heiress tore off after the Faunus girl, moving as fast as her fumbling legs could carry her. Her wound had reopened, and she knew the scent of blood would only draw more problems toward her.

Reaching within herself, she tried to stir up her aura and drag it up from her core to her injury to staunch the blood-flow. She didn't want to make any more noise than was necessary, but she had absolutely no other way of seeking out her teammate in this hell of a forest without calling for her or finding her by sheer dumb luck.

"Blake!" she cried out in a low tone. She couldn't see in the darkness like Blake could, and the moonlight only did so much to illuminate her path past the thick canopy of leaves.

And she'd be lying to say she felt any ounce of confidence a trained huntress should be feeling in this situation; she was lost and cold, scared and injured, and perhaps worst of all she was _alone_.

She tried to think where Blake would go, the Faunus girl having been in a more mobile state than Weiss herself. She could've climbed any of the thousands of trees or taken shelter behind any bush...

The heiress stumbled, reaching out to grab a tree trunk to steady herself as she came to a sloppy halt, panting as the pain in her side started to register and overlap the numbing adrenaline pumping through her.

_What can I do, Blake? What can I do...?_

She'd just wanted to get back home safely with her, and now...

She realized how loud she was being, her breath heavy and wheezing as more blood trickled down her side, even past the coating of her aura to prevent it. She felt dizzy and nauseous, like she might drop to the ground right that minute and never get up again.

But she couldn't afford to think like that, not when she still had the life in her to move and continue searching for Blake.

She considered sending out a glyph of light to indicate her position in the woods, but that would also give her away to enemies. Additionally, it would only benefit her if Blake was having regrets too, and had cleared her mind enough to _want_ to return to Weiss; if she wanted to avoid her, sending a glyph would only tell Blake where _not_ to go.

Besides, with those ears of hers, Blake could listen for Weiss and locate her if she so wished, and it didn't seem that was the case.

Weiss pressed a palm to her mouth in an effort to stifle her rapid breathing, but it only served to make her more needy for air. She tried to swallow, but it didn't go down, and she ended up coughing on it. Her body was shaking of its own accord, and Weiss leaned heavily back against the nearest tree, trying to clear her head.

But she didn't get more than another few breaths in before she heard a growl from one side, and her blood ran cold as she slowly turned her head.

A pair of crimson eyes watched her from a distance, narrowed and predatory.

Weiss' left hand went to the hilt of her rapier, but she could hardly even get a good grasp on it. She didn't even bother trying to stifle her breath anymore; if this was going to come to a fight, it didn't matter.

She braced herself, not wanting to initiate if she didn't have to, not wanting to direct more attention to herself by making the swift motion of drawing her weapon. She didn't know how much of a fight she could afford to put up at this point, what with her aura scrambling just to heal the newly reopened wound on top of the sheer energy depletion she was already suffering from.

She held the unseen beast's gaze for a long moment that dragged out, and it was as though it could sense her weakness and was waiting for her to exhaust herself or let down her guard.

Weiss drew a particularly needy breath, feeling cold sweat on her forehead and hot tears in her eyes as she closed them for a second to inhale-

-and when she reopened them, the eyes watching her had vanished.

She stiffened, her head and torso throbbing in time with her terrified pulse; they'd taught her in every lesson not to display her fear as it would only attract more trouble from the creatures that could sense it, but Weiss was at her limit now.

Something brushed against her arm-

She shrieked, stumbling on uneven earth and falling to her knees, wincing at the strain it put on her injury. She was torn between holding the wound and reaching for her rapier as the shadow advanced.

She wasn't going to die here, she couldn't-

"Weiss!" Blake's voice was earnest and concerned as she looked down at her teammate, startled by the heiress' reaction to her arrival. "It's just me," she soothed, before looking up again. "Whatever that was, it's gone now; probably didn't want to have to deal with two of us at once."

Her eyes went quickly back to Weiss as she knelt down before the heiress, softening her voice. "I-I'm sorry for startling you. And I'm sorry for running off like that, Weiss. I just... I..."

The fur of her ears was ringing, aching with the sounds of reverberation, and it didn't take long for her to realize what the sound was – and it wasn't coming from her.

Her ears were throbbing with Weiss' heartbeat, fast and hammering, and when Blake met her eyes again, she saw just how petrified the heiress was.

It was then the rustic tang of blood reached her nose, and when she narrowed her eyes, even in the darkness, she could make out the stain on Weiss' dress. She gasped and moved instantly closer to her, reaching out her hand.

"Weiss, Weiss let me- let me help you. I p-promise I won't hurt you again, I'm sorry. But you need help-"

"Blake..." she panted. "It's okay, you... you didn't mean to. You had a nightmare, that's all it was."

Weiss refused to let the Faunus girl keep living under the impression that others thought she was a monster. She needed Blake to know first and foremost that Weiss didn't blame her, and she held her teammate's golden gaze for a moment as she struggled to regain her breath. Weiss swallowed hard, wishing her heart would calm down.

"You won't hurt me, Blake. I know that."

Slowly, she lifted her hand and slipped it into Blake's; she hadn't realized she was shaking until her palm was being supported by a sturdier one.

And it only took that much for Blake to stop feeling guilty about herself.

When she felt that small, trembling hand in her own, she realized how foolish she was being. She realized that Weiss would always accept her as her friend and teammate, and that right now, Weiss needed her.

She nodded her thanks to the heiress, asking silently for permission to move closer, which Weiss granted with a slight pull of her wrist.

Blake closed the distance between them and quickly placed her hands over Weiss' side, apologizing when the other girl winced from the pain. Blake activated her aura and channeled it to her teammate, helping to awaken Weiss' and heal the wound faster.

Weiss huffed, and Blake could feel the blood still oozing between her fingers, causing Blake to increase the flow of aura a bit. She could taste Weiss' uncertainty thick on the roof of her mouth, just as clearly as she could feel and hear her palpable heartbeat.

"Just breathe, Weiss," she murmured. "You're okay. I promise."

Weiss nodded, trying to keep herself upright, closing her eyes for a brief moment of rest.

Blake sighed in relief when the bleeding finally stopped, and she wiped her hands clean on the grass, not wanting to have to smell the pungent scent any more that she absolutely had to.

But she could still hear the frantic throbbing that traced back to the heiress, and Blake cast her a worried look. Weiss' eyelids opened weakly, and she could only shrug, shoulders slumping.

"I don't know... what's wrong..." she sighed. "I'm just so tired..."

Blake nodded and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms gently around Weiss' waist and back, holding her up.

"I know. We should keep going, though. There's no point in wasting time when we aren't even able to sleep. We should try to get back."

Ears still perked and alert for sounds of danger, she continued to hold Weiss, waiting until the girl's pulse gradually slowed, matching her own.

Likewise, Weiss allowed the Faunus girl to provide whatever comfort she could, hoping that her own warmth could ease Blake's tensions.

Weiss wasn't thinking at all when she kissed her cheek.

But almost immediately afterward, she regretted it, feeling dread pound through her veins.

"I-I'm sorry," she murmured on a small voice. "Blake, I just-"

She was quieted when a soft kiss was pressed to her own cheek.

Blake didn't know why Weiss had kissed her, nor did she know why she'd returned the action unto the heiress.

But she knew she hadn't minded all that much.

After all, it had been a long day, and an even longer night, and the two of them had stared death in the face more than once within the past twenty-four hours.

Blake knew a lot more about Weiss now than she had yesterday, and she'd revealed just as much about herself to the heiress – but most importantly, she felt comfortable about it. She appreciated the trust Weiss had put in her, and the trust she could put in her teammate in return.

She held her there, feeling thin arms curling around the small of her back and taking solace in her touch. Feeling Weiss' support, her warmth, her heart, it all gave Blake a newfound energy, a rejuvenated desire to get them the _hell_ out of here.

After a few moments had lapsed, she pulled herself away from Weiss gingerly, meeting her eyes, finding the same energy in her gaze.

"Come on." Blake got to her feet and helped Weiss up alongside her. "Let's go home."

Weiss held tightly to her hand, giving an affirmative, determined nod.

"Let's."

Blake led the way, utilizing her enhanced night-vision to bring them through the thickets and bushes. She was filled with a new vigor, a desire to get out of here before they really found themselves in trouble, so she maintained a quick pace while still trying to let Weiss follow easily.

But it was clear to the both of them that the heiress' injury was aggravating her, and Blake was hardly surprised when she felt a tug on her arm, a silent request to pause.

"I'm sorry-" Weiss wheezed. "Just a moment, please..."

Blake frowned; she sounded understandably in pain and looked paler than usual, even in the limited lighting. The Faunus girl stopped walking, ears still set to catch any sounds of trouble. But all that reached them now were Weiss' labored breaths, and she turned her back to the heiress and crouched before her.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you."

Weiss made a noise that sounded almost offended.

"Nonsense," she huffed. "Or have you forgotten you're injured as well? I can make it back just fine-"

"Weiss, _please_," she begged. "I can't just keep going knowing you're hurt like this. It's fine. Just let me do this."

Weiss was silent as she caught her breath. Then, a small snort led her to a sigh.

"Fine, I get it. I'm just a burden to you otherwise."

"Weiss, that's not-"

"Ah-puh-puh-puh-pup! No, don't try to make me feel better about it," she carried on. "I understand. So I'll allow you to do it, just this once."

When she heard Weiss' almost-playful tone, Blake nearly chuckled; she needed to remind herself they were presently lost in the Emerald Forest and that certain death lurked around every other tree trunk.

"Alright," she said. "Then just this once."

Weiss grunted in agreement, before taking a step forward toward Blake's back. Slowly, she lowered herself down and slipped her arms around Blake's neck, lightly pressing her chest to the other girl's back.

"Okay?" Blake checked.

She reached back to secure Weiss' thighs and stood. The heiress was light on her back, her breath fanning over her shoulder as Blake took off at a steady pace. She could feel the faint beat of the heiress' heart against her back and paused briefly, hoping this wasn't too much for Weiss all at once, waiting for her to adjust.

"I'm fine," Weiss said softly. "But the second you start feeling tired, you put me down, do you hear me Blake Belladonna?"

"Of course."

And with that, the Faunus girl took off again.

She made sure to keep moving in a straight line, knowing that would be the quickest way out. But the forest was massive, and even just being put off a few feet could be putting them on the path to more woods.

Blake moved on instinct alone, following her gut; if she thought she heard something, she would veer only slightly, doing her best to stay on track.

She paused every few minutes to feel for Weiss' pulse, making sure it wasn't too fast. Small whimpers slipped past the heiress' lips on occasion, and Blake feared she was falling ill from severe enervation and blood loss.

Blake's body was sore as well, but she would rather keep moving now and rest when daylight came. She took comfort in the fact that the sky was getting lighter, but it would be a while yet before the sun came up.

She caught her breath, took in the sounds of the forest, and continued onward.

Weiss faded in and out of consciousness as they went, and she hadn't the slightest idea of how much time had passed.

But when she was next able to open her eyes and find her voice, she was extremely aware of Blake's condition. She could feel her teammate's chest heaving, hear her panting, and the pang of worry it sent through Weiss made her whimper again. She lightly bumped her head against Blake's to gain her attention, and was satisfied when the tired girl came to a halt.

"What..." She panted over her shoulder. "What is it, Weiss? Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine," she murmured. "But you're not. Rest."

"No, I can keep going. If we just-"

"Blake." Her tone hardened just a bit, and Blake released a sigh.

"Right..."

Blake crouched down and let Weiss off, only then realizing she couldn't get back up just yet. Weiss sat down beside her and had Blake lean on her, keeping her upright.

As Blake rested, Weiss took the liberty to sit vigil.

It was... almost odd that they hadn't run into any more Grimm, but she wasn't about to complain.

They rested for a few moments, but Weiss couldn't bring herself to relax even a bit. She wasn't sure if it was due to her weakened state or not, but there was movement coming from a distance in addition to odd lighting, but it wasn't the sun.

Blake's heightened senses must have alerted her to it as well, as she opened her eyes and straightened instantly.

"We should go," she uttered, getting to her feet. She helped Weiss up before starting off into the woods, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. She turned back to her teammate, a hint of urgency in her tone. "What is it? We need to go," she urged.

"No, wait..." Weiss was convinced she was hearing properly. "That's- we have to go that way. That's Beacon."

"What?" Blake closed her eyes quickly to help enhance her hearing. When she focused, she could hear voices, proof of Weiss' assumptions. Her eyes flew open and she met Weiss' gaze. "You're right. Come on." She grabbed her companion's hand and took off.

Weiss eagerly followed, taking the liberty to spare the energy to cast a glyph beneath their feet to send them forward faster. One was all she could manage, but it saved them time and energy.

Their ears were ringing, blood pounding in their veins, vision blurring to the point they doubted they would make it-

-And then there were footsteps charging toward them, voices crying out their names.

Of the members of the search party, Ruby and Yang had noticed them first and ran to their partners before the professors could stop them.

"Weiss! Blake! Oh my gosh, are you guys okay? I-I'm s-so glad we found you...!"

The heiress felt the impact of Ruby's body as her leader clung to her, trying to keep Weiss on her feet. The older girl very nearly collapsed, and Ruby wailed with the utmost relief into her chest.

Yang had gone instantly to Blake, pulling her into a hug as gentle and yet fierce as she dared.

"Oh, thank god," she sighed. "Hey, hey, you alright there? The hell am I saying? Of course you're not alright. But god, I'm glad you're still in one piece, Blake."

The rest of the rescue party gathered around them, assessing wounds and healing them as best they could before they needed to move out. Ruby coaxed Weiss into her arms, and Yang carried Blake in a similar manner as they headed off.

"Just hang in there, guys."

They moved at a steady pace, doing their best not to jostle the injured girls. It was another twenty minutes or so before they arrived at the school campus once more.

"We're here," Yang announced.

And only when Blake and Weiss saw the truth for themselves did they finally allow their eyes to close.

* * *

The rest of the night until morning was hectic and consisted of getting the two girls fixed up.

Their wounds were cleaned, disinfected, and then healed, wires attached to their arms as they were changed into white hospital robes.

Ruby and Yang looked on anxiously, fretting and whimpering and asking the nurses all kinds of questions, even after they'd been told countless times their partners were eventually going to make full recoveries.

Only when the morning sunlight began slipping through the windows did Yang finally convince her younger sister that they needed to get back to their own room and get some rest.

They left Weiss and Blake who were already unconscious with sleep, murmuring prayers they would get well soon, promising to bring them flowers on their next visit.

It was several hours later when Blake awoke to the sounds of beeping; though she'd known this was going to be the reality she woke up in, it didn't mean she had to like it.

She turned her head to the side, relieved to see that Weiss and herself had been put in the same room, their beds close enough so that they could reach out and easily make contact with one another if need be.

She watched Weiss as she slept, the faint rise and fall of her chest, her pale, white figure almost too easy to lose sight of amongst the hair and robe and sheets. If she could take solace in anything, it was the fact that the heiress' cheeks had regained a bit of their healthy tinge of pink.

Blake spoke with the nurses when they came by, telling them how she felt and asking how long she and Weiss would be here for.

It was another half an hour or so until Weiss finally opened her eyes, and Blake's lips curled up into a soft smile.

"Good morning. How do you feel?"

Weiss looked over at her, eyes tired and slightly irritated.

"Like I was trampled by a pack of Ursai," she groaned.

"I hear you," Blake grunted.

"How long are we going to be here?"

"At least two more days, but even after that, no combat practice for three more."

"Ugh, I feel like an invalid."

"But you need to rest. We both do."

"Yes, yes..."

Weiss cautiously lifted her arms up a bit to stretch, wincing at the slight pain in her side.

But when her arms came back down, her hand brushed against Blake's that had been outstretched toward her. Weiss was about to pull back and apologize, until she felt Blake's fingers curling around the back of her hand.

The heiress drew a soft breath when the Faunus girl's stunning golden eyes met hers, and she was suddenly reminded of the kiss she had given in the forest, the kiss that had been returned unto her.

Neither really knew what the meanings behind those kisses had been, but they were both willing to keep the memories tacked to the backs of their minds.

They would have plenty of time to discuss things during their days of recovery as they moaned and groaned to one another about their aches and pains.

But for now they were content simply to keep their hand in the other's, to sigh in unison at the relief of being safe, and to close their eyes and go back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: And that's all. Sorry, it really wasn't much, but again, I just hated leaving the RP unfinished to fade away and I wanted to share some of Tiffany's writing with the world.**

**And again on topic of Monty just... gods, may he rest in the best peace. Play DDR with the angels. We'll never forget you.**

**Please review!**


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